Water from Toppenish Creek – the refuge’s namesake waterway – and Snake Creek fill the refuge’s managed ponds during fall and winter. These ponds attract mallard and other ducks. Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge offers waterfowl hunters established blinds, available on a first-come, first-served basis, along these ponds. In wetter years, there are many ponds, and hunting can be excellent. Although dry years can limit the number of ponds, there are usually a few productive hunting blinds available. Parking spots for the Robbins Road and Pumphouse Units each have a numbered pole that corresponds to the location of blind sites. If someone is in a parking space, that blind is occupied. Refuge staff members mark the pole to alert hunters if a particular blind site is too dry to hunt. A designated disabled hunter blind in the Robbins Road Unit can be reserved. Free-roam hunting is permitted in all hunt units except for the Robbins Road and Pumphouse Units. Pit blinds are available at the Halvorson and Webb Units, and portable/temporary blinds are allowed on the Chambers, Cloe, Isiri, and Petty Units.
To see all the refuge hunting regulations, please visit www.fws.gov/mcriver/regulations/.